Closing a deal after only a couple of months of B2B appointment setting is hard. Add a global pandemic into the mix and it seems nearly impossible. Not for an HVAC client of ours at Abstrakt Marketing Group. Not only did this client have enough confidence in our services to sign on with us at the peak of COVID-19, but they also closed a deal two months later.
This client has seen huge success with our HVAC B2B appointment setting services. Here’s how we closed a deal for them in two months and the success they’ve seen with their program since closing that deal.
How Our HVAC Client Used B2B Appointment Setting to Grow Their Business During COVID-19
How did we bring on a new client during COVID-19? In the U.S., businesses felt the economic impact of COVID-19 almost immediately. While some felt less comfortable taking risks or pursuing new business ventures, others had to shut their doors completely. At Abstrakt, we didn’t let the realities of the pandemic scare us away from growing our business, and we wanted our partners to feel the same way.
That’s exactly what one of our Executive Sales Representatives explained to this HVAC client before he sold them on an outbound lead generation program. It’s hard to convince a company why they should outsource sales efforts during a time when the economy is suffering. But, our Executive Sales Rep spoke to this HVAC client with confidence and stressed the importance of loading a pipeline to sustain success and beat out competitors. He explained how most of their competitors were going to be ‘waiting for COVID-19 to pass,’ which is why now is an excellent time to get ahead.
The rest is history. We then got to work implementing the client and started using HVAC B2B lead generation and growth strategies to grow our client’s business.
How did we see success with B2B appointment setting so quickly? As soon as this HVAC client implemented, we hit the ground running with their new appointment setting program. One of the first prospects we called on to pitch HVAC services to was a project management, warehousing, and logistics solutions company. They were located in a neighboring town and met all of the qualifiers for this program, making them the ideal customer to close a deal with. Through strategic prospecting and scrubbing of lists, our Operations department is able to build lists of hundreds of prospects who fit into our clients’ target markets.
Closing their first deal only took two phone calls to set the appointment and one heck of a meeting with our HVAC partner. We knew because of our great working partnership that we’d be able to thoroughly communicate the prospect’s needs to our client so that they could deliver a great sales pitch and close the deal. Here’s how it happened:
- We started calling this particular prospect at the beginning of April, right at the start of our HVAC client’s program. We determined who the key decision-maker (KDM) was right out of the gate. He handled all HVAC and other maintenance inquiries for the company. Unfortunately, we had to leave a voicemail the first time we tried to reach him.
- Our dedicated B2B sales rep tried calling the prospect again at the end of April. This time, she spoke with the KDM. He told her that he oversees all three facilities for his company and that they have lots of projects coming up. They needed a few A/C replacements. They had bought a couple of 30-ton units about two years ago and they still weren’t installed. They also had no preventative maintenance agreements in place.
He went on to explain how they had previously partnered with another HVAC provider in town but broke ties with them due to a disagreement overpricing. Since then, they’ve tried to hire an HVAC person in-house, but no luck there either (the one person they found for the position didn’t stick around long). So, at the time, they had no preferred HVAC vendor. He went on to explain how one of their buildings was 250K square feet and the other was 100K square feet.
APPOINTMENT = SET.
- The appointment was scheduled for Thursday, May 7th. We informed our HVAC client that this would need to be a virtual B2B sales appointment due to COVID-19 restrictions.
- Our HVAC client closed this deal on June 2nd, just TWO months after starting their program!
DEAL = CLOSED.
More Good News For Our Client
Although we had success right out of the gate with this client, that didn’t slow our efforts down. Since closing a $7K deal at the beginning of June for compressor replacements, they’ve closed business with two other prospects. These were two service calls for $700 and $400 that both have preventative maintenance agreements pending.
In addition to closed business, our client has several proposals out with different prospects who we’ve been talking to and scheduling appointments with. Some have verbally committed, others have proposals pending for $20K or more in HVAC services. Our client is very excited about the success they’re seeing with our program and the Abstrakt account manager is happy to be a part of their success as well.
“It is pretty exciting and rewarding to be a part of,” she said. “I see them being a long term client with us for sure. Lots of good stuff is coming!”
As one can see, B2B appointment setting is a never-ending process that requires hard work from all parties involved. Even after one very successful pitch that resulted in a closed deal, the work doesn’t stop. At Abstrakt, we understand this better than anyone and work to build long term relationships with our clients and their prospects in order to grow their business.
What Can We Learn From This B2B Lead Generation Success Story?
A lot of this success may seem like luck. But really, we can learn a lot from this client and there are some key takeaways about B2B lead generation that should not be ignored. Here are a few:
- B2B lead generation works no matter the circumstances. In the midst of COVID-19, a lot of businesses wanted to shrivel up and shut their doors. However, what seemed like an economic crisis at the time has actually presented a lot of opportunities for businesses everywhere. There is market share to gain right now. Whether it be a pandemic, a recession, or just a bad season for your business, there is no such thing as a bad time to invest in a B2B appointment setting program. An appointment setting partner is meant to help you excel, not hinder your growth. They set awesome appointments, all you have to do is close deals.
- B2B sales reps and B2B businesses collaborating = B2B sales success. When you take a dedicated B2B sales rep and mix it with a business who is ready to work hard and grow as a team, you have a recipe for B2B sales success. Our B2B sales rep is dedicated to the success of her client’s programs at Abstrakt. Plus, our HVAC partner is committed to the success of their program. This is one of the many reasons we’ve seen so much success in such a short period of time.
- Some prospects need to be nurtured, others don’t as much. Sometimes, there is an immediate need. That was certainly the case for this deal our client closed in early June. However, that’s not always the case. This is why our team of dedicated B2B sales reps at Abstrakt uses lead nurturing and qualification to close deals with those prospects who need a little more convincing. A successful B2B lead generation program starts with a loaded list of qualified prospects (some may have an immediate need, others won’t) and a lead nurturing process. If you have both, you’ll be successful.
Finding new opportunities to grow your business can be extremely difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. With a B2B appointment setting partner like Abstrakt Marketing Group, you can host regular sales pitches no matter the circumstances and watch your business grow quickly. Contact our team to get started with your very own lead generation program today.
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